Monday, March 19, 2007
No change in predictions
One week into the WC-2007 and I have no changes to make in my predictions. The men in blue really disappointed. However, I think everyone is being pretty unfair on Bangladesh. They played some exceptional cricket! It is almost similar to Sri Lanka in 1996, when they came out of the blue and stunned everyone with some innovative and explosive batting.
And Dave Whatmore was coach of SL then. Now he is with B'desh. [PS: Now that is a REASON, not a COINCIDENCE. There is a DIFFERENCE between the two. @KG - :-)]
All around me I see people going ballistic about net run rates, and making 3MB excel sheets with scenarios!! (@KG - no offense. It was good time-pass). However, there is one minor point which almost everyone seems to have missed...and no, it is not that we have taken it for granted that India beats SL. There is no other option for India. However, everyone HAS taken it for granted that Sri Lanka beats B'desh. If B'desh do beat SL, they will go through as group toppers and SL v/s India is a straight knock out. Calculators and laptops, thou shalt not decide the fate of cricket!! I do wish that this situation does come true. I really do not like minor technicalities deciding who wins and who loses.
Amidst all this, the death of Bob Woolmer just goes to show how trivial the game is. It is not life. It is not death. (hope there is no conspiracy theory to Woolmer's passing. Then "it is not death" would be wrong!!).
So, when the Indian's lose to Sri lanka (as I think will happen), please do keep some perspective. Enjoy the game...this really is one of the more interesting world cups in recent history.
And Dave Whatmore was coach of SL then. Now he is with B'desh. [PS: Now that is a REASON, not a COINCIDENCE. There is a DIFFERENCE between the two. @KG - :-)]
All around me I see people going ballistic about net run rates, and making 3MB excel sheets with scenarios!! (@KG - no offense. It was good time-pass). However, there is one minor point which almost everyone seems to have missed...and no, it is not that we have taken it for granted that India beats SL. There is no other option for India. However, everyone HAS taken it for granted that Sri Lanka beats B'desh. If B'desh do beat SL, they will go through as group toppers and SL v/s India is a straight knock out. Calculators and laptops, thou shalt not decide the fate of cricket!! I do wish that this situation does come true. I really do not like minor technicalities deciding who wins and who loses.
Amidst all this, the death of Bob Woolmer just goes to show how trivial the game is. It is not life. It is not death. (hope there is no conspiracy theory to Woolmer's passing. Then "it is not death" would be wrong!!).
So, when the Indian's lose to Sri lanka (as I think will happen), please do keep some perspective. Enjoy the game...this really is one of the more interesting world cups in recent history.
# posted by Sandy @ 10:07 PM 
